


A Question Of Motivations

by SecondFromTheRight



Category: Daredevil (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Canon Divergence, F/M, What if scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-27 06:29:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13242438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SecondFromTheRight/pseuds/SecondFromTheRight
Summary: Frank gave a suppressed groan, squinting against the light in the room. He tilted his head back and up towards the voice, David sitting in a chair next to the bed he was lying in. He turned the other way, clocking Madani standing in front of him, almost between him and the door, and followed the path to determine everything else. He took in the room, stopping as his sight landed on Karen Page sitting on a small couch in the corner of the room, furthest away from him. She stared right back at him.“Karen.” He croaked.Karen's also in the room when Frank wakes up at the Madani's.





	A Question Of Motivations

“Hey, there he is. Welcome back, buddy."

Frank gave a suppressed groan, squinting against the light in the room. He tilted his head back and up towards the voice, David sitting in a chair next to the bed he was lying in. He turned the other way, clocking Madani standing in front of him, almost between him and the door, and followed the path to determine everything else. He took in the room, stopping as his sight landed on Karen Page sitting on a small couch in the corner of the room, furthest away from him. She stared right back at him.

“Karen.” He croaked.

The blonde pressed her lips together, her eyes watering as she choked back a sob.

“Karen.” He repeated, trying to reach her over the distance.

She couldn't hold it back after that, turning away and tucking her chin against her shoulder to hide as she shuddered out a cry. She sniffed loudly, trying to reign in her upset.

“I called her," David spoke up, understanding in his voice. "There was… well, we weren’t sure you were going to make it. I thought…I thought that she should know, that she should be here, you know, in case.” He explained but Frank didn’t take his eyes off of Karen.

“More unfinished business?” she asked as she looked back at him, her emotions under control again.

“Madani,” he addressed the agent without looking away from Karen. “Did you get Russo?”

“He got away.” Dinah revealed with regret.

Frank closed his eyes again and lowered his head, his chin falling almost against his chest as he breathed heavily through his nose.

“Billy Russo?” Karen questioned, drawing everyone’s attention back to her.

“What do you know about him?” Frank asked, his voice urgent.

“He was all over the media talking about you after Lewis Wilson,” Karen shrugged as she leaned forward, her elbows on her thighs. “That and…I’ve met him.” She added carefully, bringing her hands together in front of her.

“When? Where?” Frank demanded as he sat up, pushing himself back against the pillows.

“The other day, at…at the hotel,” Karen continued, briefly looking at Madani before back to Frank. “I met with him before I interviewed Ori.”

“Does he know you know me?”

“I don’t think so, no. It was a minute conversation, less than.” Karen shook her head.

“Karen.” Frank urged.

“You weren’t mentioned.” Karen replied with some bite as she stared back.

“Well, what was mentioned?” Frank met Karen’s attitude with some of his own. David half turned away awkwardly, still standing behind Frank from Karen's perspective.

“He knows I carry, he checked my permit. His company took my weapon before the interview. He said he was Afghanistan.” She listed.

“In a less than one minute conversation he told you he was in Afghanistan?” The former Marine asked, raising his eyebrows sceptically, the cuts on his skin stretching as he became more alert, and angry.

“It wasn’t about you, Frank.” Karen said sternly.

“Then what was it about?”

“We were…he made a joke, I made one back,” Karen shrugged, some of the tension falling away from her as she sighed. “He mentioned serving in Afghanistan in response. It was…he was charming.” She shook her head, her hair flowing with the movement.

“Of course he was.” Frank muttered with his breath. Karen glared back at him.

“Madani, did you tell Russo anything about Karen? That you thought she might know I was alive, anything?” Frank addressed Dinah.

“No. I told him other things that I shouldn’t have but… I believed Miss Page when she said she didn’t know you were alive,” Dinah looked at Karen with a nod. Karen lowered her head, rubbing her hands together slowly. “It was a lead I thought I’d already exhausted beforehand.” Dinah explained as she looked back at Frank. She folded her arms.

“Karen, you need to leave.” Frank focused back on the reporter whose head shot up at the request.

“Frank, I can help.” Karen tried.

“No,” he dismissed. "He knew, Karen. He’s known this whole damn time, about my family, about that day. He knew it was going to happen, he let it happen. I can’t – if he finds out about you…”

“Uh, why don’t we give you two some privacy?” David suggested carefully as he took a step towards the door.

“No,” Frank denied. “Madani, take her home. Get people on her or something.”

“You have got to be kidding me.” Karen said from her corner, standing up and placing her hands on her hips.

“He’ll come after you!” Frank pushed back, now looking up at her.

“If he thinks I have the agent he knows you’re working with tailing me then yeah, maybe he will!” Karen yelled. Frank closed his eyes.

“Please.” He whispered. Karen sighed, dropping her arms and taking a couple of steps closer to the bed.

“Everybody left that day thinking you used me as a hostage. That was the point. And the state of you?” she gestured towards him as he lay there. She pressed her lips together as her eyes ran over his injuries. “If he was going to come after me he would have done it by now.”

“Don’t say that.” Frank hissed through his teeth.

“I’m just gonna, uh…” David trailed of. “Agent? We should…” he tipped his head towards the door way.

“It’s fine. I’m leaving anyway.” Karen announced as she grabbed her bag and left the room, not looking at any of them.

“Karen, Karen, wait. Fuck!” Frank called, getting up to go after her. “Fuck!” he barked as he almost tumbled out of the bed before he limped out of the room.

“I’m not sure what I was expecting them to be like together but I don’t think that was it.” David said as he Dinah and stared at the retreating back of Frank.

"I think I like her." Dinah concluded.

“Karen, Karen, hey,” Frank tried as he caught up with her in the living room. “I can’t –“

“I know.” Karen exhaled as she turned around to face him. She looked back at him tearfully.

“He’ll take you away from me. If he finds out about you he’ll…” Frank trailed off as he looked at her.

“There’s always more, right? It never ends.” She said with resignation.

“He’s the last – but it started with him too. He was… Karen, he was my best friend. Part of my family. I trusted him, with my life, with my…with my kids lives…” Frank screwed his eyes closed and took a breath.

“Frank.” Karen whispered brokenly as he watched him.

“I need you to be safe. You can’t be part of this, he can’t find out about you. Please, I’m asking you to leave this alone.” He pleaded.

"Okay." she accepted quietly. Frank let out an audible sigh of relief.

"Thank you. And I'm sorry, about...before. I know you can take care of yourself, I just... Karen...I can't let him near you."

“I didn’t think I’d see you in a worse state than last time.” She said with tears, reaching out to place a hand on his chest. Frank swallowed as she touched him. “If you can maybe stop dying? That'd be…” she laughed with a shaky breath, a sob threatening to freak free.

“I’m not planning on losing.” Frank insisted determinedly. Karen nodded, letting her hand drop from him. Frank tracked the movement.

“Be careful?” Karen said quietly, a small smile on her face. Frank lifted a hand to her face and wiped a tear from her cheek. Karen wet her lips before she dipped her head slightly, breaking their eye contact. She nodded before moving forward, placing a gentle kiss on Frank’s bruised cheek. He kept still, breathing deeply. Pulling back, she met his eyes again.

“I’ll walk you out, my dear.” Dr. Madani offered kindly as he interrupted them, gesturing towards the door. Karen turned her head to acknowledge the man standing with his wife behind them. She smiled politely, nodding at him before facing Frank again. She met eyes again, giving him a small smile. He stared back at her, his eyes roaming her face. Karen broke their moment as she fully turned around and walked out with Dinah’s father, smiling gratefully as she past the other Dr. Madani. She kept her head down, clutching her purse as she went. Hamid Madani put a comforting arm on her shoulder as he exchanged a look with his wife before guiding Karen out.

Frank watched them leave around the corner and out of the apartment, only shifting when Dinah’s mother approached him.

“Ma’am.” He said quietly.

"I was not happy with my daughter bringing you into this house.” The older woman told him plainly.

“I’m sorry for any inconvenience.” Frank replied.

“Inconvenience?” She scoffed with a sarcastic smile as she looked him over slowly, judging him. “Blood on the bed-sheets is an inconvenience. My husband having to work on you without proper equipment is an inconvenience. A mass killer that’s risking my daughter’s career, possibly life, in my home? That’s another thing entirely,” She said confidently. Frank kept his mouth shut, lowering his head. “That girl?” Dr. Madani waved her hand at the space Karen had been as she’d left. “She cares for you.”

“She can make questionable decisions like that sometimes.” Frank said with some humour, trying to dismiss the conversation.

“And you care for her.” The psychiatrist continued as if Frank hadn’t said anything.

“Ma’am.” Frank cautioned with a tremor.

“Rage, vengeance, betrayal - all very powerful motivators,” she said as she tilted her head and looked at him. “As is fear. And they can be a lot closer than some are comfortable with. And love? Well.” Frank slowly brought his eyeline up to look at her. She raised her eyebrows expectantly at him.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a fan of Shohreh Aghdashloo who plays Farah Madani. I think she's amazing. I'd love a real Farah and Frank scene, or Farah and Kastle scene.
> 
>  
> 
> <https://secondfromtheright.tumblr.com/>


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